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Top 5 things a traveler should know to avoid being a victim of cyberattacks

Tips to protect yourself cybernetically when traveling REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Tips to protect yourself cybernetically when traveling REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

As society returns to normal and covid-19 infections decrease, travel and tourists increase. People take advantage of their vacations and the reopening of borders to go to the beach or discover new places.

Well, after normalcy, cybercriminals are more attentive than ever to attack the systems and devices of travelers, and thus steal their data. PFor this reason, it is worth following these cyber security tips shared by the antivirus company Fortinet with TechMarkup.

Update systems

It is also called patching the systems and consists of downloading the latest versions of the applications that are installed on the cell phones. Some are updated automatically, while on other occasions the user needs to enter the mobile application stores such as the App Store or Google Play to do it manually.

This is a very important point because when a platform for mobile devices or the operating system is outdated, cyber attackers can find vulnerabilities where they access all the personal information contained in the phones.

Avoid downloading apps or files from unknown sources

Recently, some cybersecurity organizations have found several applications of dubious origin that have ended up being malware disguised. Therefore, it is crucial to take care of the type of platforms and files that are downloaded to the devices, which as a general rule should be legitimate and from official stores.

Confirming the authenticity of the applications becomes a bit complex when traveling abroad, for example, at airports they usually request to download an application to be able to carry out processes such as check-in; in such cases you must be extremely careful to avoid downloading “pirate apps” by accident.

Do not share devices

There are many travelers who enjoy staying in hostels when they arrive at their destination, since they are ideal environments to meet and socialize with more tourists who come from other parts of the world. It is also very common for people to make new friends in the places they arrive, all as part of the travel experience.

With all this, it is very difficult to say that it is very important to avoid lending devices such as computers or cell phones, since even if the other person is not acting in bad faith, by accessing your email, they could be inadvertently downloading malicious files, thus infecting the computer. The same goes for USB flash drives.

Do not leave the computer unlocked

Remote work is more fashionable than ever, and traveling and working at the same time is already a widespread trend. There are even many lodgings that have enabled areas of co-working for its guests, likewise tourists can be seen working in cafes and restaurants. That is why noThe unlocked computer should never be left near strangers.

On the contrary, it is very necessary to always keep the equipment blocked, and if this is the case, use applications such as passwordmanager to manage the keys.

Stay away from public Wi-Fi networks

Public Wi-Fi networks are not usually very secure, since, as their name implies, they are not private, they do not have an entry password and anyone can access them. Just as many people use them to work or contact their loved ones, there may be criminals on the site trying to infiltrate people’s devices via the network to hack your accounts and steal sensitive information such as bank details.

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